A former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has made some
revelations in her new book titled, “Fighting Corruption is Dangerous –
The Story Behind the Headlines”
She recounted that former President, Goodluck Jonathan indeed showed
concern and made spirited effort to rescue the schoolgirls abducted in
Chibok in 2014.
In parts published by Thisday, Okonjo-Iweala said Jonathan called her
on the phone while she was in Mexico City on April 15, 2014, a day
after the schoolgirls’ abduction, confirming to her that Boko Haram had
indeed kidnapped a large number of girls.
“When the President came to the phone, he sounded tired. It was easy
to sense the fatigue in his voice. I told him what I had heard in Mexico
and the reaction of the participants.
“The President confirmed that the kidnapping had happened, that they
were still trying to determine with the state authorities exactly what
happened, and that the total number of girls taken was still not known.”
She quoted Jonathan as saying, “CME, we must get those girls out
alive. I don’t care what they say about me. But I don’t want those girls
dead. We must get them back alive.”
The former World Bank managing director also revealed a graphic
encounter between her and an aggressive South-West governor (still
serving) who pounced on her at a National Executive Council meeting.
She related in the book that it took the intervention of the then
Vice President, Namadi Sambo, who rescued her from the hands of the
south-western governor (who was in the major opposition party at that
time; now the ruling party), who pounced on her and was verbally
aggressive at the NEC meeting.
The finance expert also narrated the challenges and frustration she
experienced over the resistance by some governors and other powerful
elements to saving for the rainy day even as her efforts were fully
supported by both ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Jonathan.
She stated that it was only by sheer force of the will that Obasanjo
was able to protect the savings in the Excess Crude Account from the
governors.
Okonjo-Iweala noted in the book, that she was reluctant to attend the
NEC meetings because of the animosity towards her by some governors who
saw her as the obstacle to sharing funds in the ECA and saddle their
states with ill-advised loans which would have been difficult to pay.
Okonjo-Iweala also disclosed how a certain aide of Jonathan almost
‘bounced’ her and the then newly elected International Monetary Fund
Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, who was on an official visit to
Nigeria, out of the Presidential Villa.
She accused the aide of making an attempt, which she frustrated, to
use his influence to further an agenda that was inimical to the
country’s interest. It was for that reason the aide tried to ‘bounce’
her and Lagarde out of the Villa.